HYDERABAD: Approximately 10,696 people from 108 rain-hit villages have been shifted to safer places in the state until Thursday, including six persons by an Army helicopter in Morampalli village. Of them, nearly 600 are from Morampalli village in Bhupalpally district while 19 workers stranded in a sand quarry near Gopalpur, Manthani in Peddapalli district, were rescued and shifted to safer locations.
In addition to the two Army helicopters that have been pressed into service to carry out rescue operations in districts, the state government has sought four more helicopters and 10 NDRF teams for carrying out the operations.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday held a teleconference review of the situation in the wake of heavy rains in the state with ministers, MLAs and district officials. He instructed the chief secretary to put the entire state administration on high alert in view of the heavy rains forecast for the next few days.
The CS held a teleconference with all district collectors and took stock of the relief and rehabilitation measures in their respective areas and the precautionary measures being undertaken.
DGP Anjani Kumar, special chief secretaries K. Ramakrishna Rao and Rajat Kumar, secretary of disaster management department Rahul Bojja, DG fire services and other senior officials participated in the teleconference.
The CS said that an NDRF team was sent to Khammam town and a helicopter to Burgampahad to undertake rescue operations. She stated that they were also concentrating on railway stations and bus stands where passengers remain stranded. She said that blankets, bed sheets and medicines will be sent to the districts for distribution in places where people have been shifted.
She complimented district collectors for coordinating with the district administration and helping to prevent loss of life and property. District collectors, SPs and CPs have been ordered to stay in the district headquarters and monitor the situation from time to time. All primary health centers, community health centers, district hospitals and private hospitals in the districts should be kept open 24 hours a day, she said.
She said that steps are being taken to send NDRF and other support teams in accordance with the requests received from collectors.
Anjani Kumar said that with the help of the district administration, over 10,000 people have been shifted to safer places so far. He said that national highways and other roads have been damaged in 85 areas and steps are being taken to repair them on a priority basis. Police personnel are actively involved in all the rescue operations, he said.
Bojja said that NDRF teams were participating in relief and rehabilitation activities in various parts of the state. Ramakrishna Rao said that the collectors have been authorised to draw funds required for relief and rehabilitation initiatives.
